Strife in Nazareth: Struggles Over the Religious Meaning of Place

This article is an ethnographic account of the two-year siege by Muslim activists of the plot adjoining a shrine in Nazareth, and the ensuing efforts by a variety of local, regional and national players to bring the crisis to a peaceful resolution before the historic visit of Pope John Paul II in March 2000. It documents the efficacy of the consecration of space by personal sacrifice and collective passion, and demonstrates the roles played by local history, demography, class and politics in struggles over the meaning of place.